1. Field of the Invention
The field of the invention relates to wagering games, and more specifically to gaming machines which offer or provide player-centric rewards to players.
2. Description of the Related Art
Modern gaming establishments offer a variety of electronic wagering games including multimedia and/or mechanical slot machines providing video card games, such as poker, blackjack and the like, video keno, video bingo, video pachinko, and various other video or reel-based games. In addition, casinos offer a variety of table games, such as poker, blackjack, craps, roulette, and the like. In many instances, the slot machines and table games are computerized or include electronic circuitry performing various functions, and are connected via a networked gaming environment to a host computer and associated servers.
Software programs provide gaming establishments with the ability to compile information about casino players, to monitor the status of games, and to provide promotions, bonuses, and rewards. Examples of promotions include advertisements and rewards, which serve as incentives for casino players to continue wagering and to return to the same establishment.
For example, one gaming bonus or reward, called “Lucky Stars”, has been used since the 1989 timeframe at the Sands in Atlantic City, N.J. in conjunction with its slot management (SMS) and casino management (CMS) systems (today's Bally/ACSC SMS and CMS, respectively) and may be described as follows:
“Lucky Stars transactions” may be generated for patrons with their patron card inserted into a casino asset card reader such as are commonly found on slot machines. According to one implementation, from a user (host) interface of the SMS slot system, a casino may select the amount of monies (whole dollars) to be played at an asset, such as a slot machine, prior to awarding a Lucky Star. Once selected, the whole dollar amount is converted by the SMS according to the slot denomination of the asset into a number of clicks (coins to be played), and the number of clicks is downloaded to the gaming machine as the Lucky Star Limit. Once the Lucky Star Limit is set, a counter at the gaming machine will increment the Lucky Stars Count for each coin played while any patron card is inserted. After each increment, the current Lucky Stars Count is compared with the Lucky Stars Limit. The incrementing and accumulation continues as successive patrons utilize the gaming machine. Once the Lucky Stars Count matches the Lucky Star Limit, the slot machine generates a “Lucky Stars transaction” for transmittal to the CMS, resets the Lucky Stars Count back to zero, and re-initiates incrementing the Lucky Stars Count. When the “Lucky Stars transaction” message is received by the CMS, it may randomly or by design determine if the patron is to receive a sweepstakes entry or other award for earning a “Lucky Star”. Once a determination is made, the CMS causes a record to be generated and the patron that caused the “Lucky Stars transaction” to be generated is notified of the available award that has been assigned to the patron's account by a message, either transmitted to the gaming machine where the patron has his/her card inserted or the next time that the patron's card is utilized.
These types of rewards and others are popular, and, there continues to be a need to develop creative methods and systems to provide various types of rewards to patrons.